TN approaches SC against HC allowing lighting of lamp atop Thiruparankundram hill
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The new Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in Tamil Nadu has approached the Supreme Court challenging a Madras High Court order that permitted the lighting of a lamp at a stone pillar on Thiruparankundram hill near Madurai, according to a report by Live Law.
The Vijay-led government filed the appeal on June 11 against the High Court’s January order. The dispute relates to a December 1 ruling by Justice GR Swaminathan, who held that the stone pillar on the hill was a deepathoon, a structure traditionally used for lighting lamps, and directed the temple authorities to restore the practice of lighting the lamp there. The order came after devotees sought permission to perform the ritual at the site, Scroll.in reported.
The judge had also observed that allowing the lamp-lighting ritual would not interfere with the religious rights of the nearby Muslim shrine located on the hill.
The Thiruparankundram hill houses both the Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple and the Sikkandar Badhusha Dargah. The earlier DMK government, temple authorities, and dargah management had challenged the single-judge order, citing concerns related to law and order, ownership of the location, and the nature of the ritual.
On January 6, a division bench of the High Court upheld the earlier ruling, stating that the stone pillar stood on land belonging to the Subramania Swamy Temple. However, it restricted the ritual by directing that only temple officials could light the lamp and that members of the public could not accompany them.
The Hindu Dharma Parishad later challenged this restriction before the High Court. In April, the court dismissed the petition, stating that the organisation appeared to have approached the court for political purposes and imposed a fine of ₹50,000.
The organisation then moved the Supreme Court, but its plea was dismissed earlier this month. However, the top court reduced the imposed penalty to ₹5,000, observing that the original amount was excessive.